Lonnie Sears

11/21/1959-10/31/2025

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Lonnie Sears, 65, of Paoli, IN passed away on October 31, 2025 surrounded by his family and held in love. He died peacefully, without pain or fear, and with much gratitude for a life well-lived. 

He is survived by his parents, Merle and Joy (Kauffman) Sears; his six siblings: Craig Sears (Leane) of South Carolina; Jeff Sears (Jan) of Missouri; Todd Sears (Sherri) of Illinois; Chad Sears (Kristin) of Indiana; Matt Kauffman (Joy) of Colorado; and Kim Mucu of Illinois. He is also survived by his wife, Sandra, and his three children: Clara Sears (Nick Wesman) of Kentucky, Sophia Sears (Justin King) of Kentucky, and Dietrich Sears (Emily) of Indiana. He has two beautiful grandchildren who brought him much joy: Elliot Sears (Dietrich and Emily) and Maeve Wesman (Clara and Nick). 

Lonnie was born on November 21, 1959 in Peoria IL. The family lived in Washington, IL when Lonnie was born and moved to Tiskilwa, IL in 1963 to farm. He was the oldest of his six siblings. 

Lonnie spent his school years attending Tiskilwa Elementary and High School. He was very active in sports and was known by his classmates as “the big teddy bear.” Lonnie and his siblings started very young, working in the field and taking care of the pigs and cows. He spent summers working at Camp Menno Haven in Tiskilwa. 

Lonnie attended Hesston College where he earned his Associate Degree in Agriculture. He then spent some time working at Covenant Children’s Home in Princeton, IL. He also entered Voluntary Service in Mashulaville, MS with the Mennonite Church where he met lifelong friends and developed a heart for service. He transferred to Goshen College where he received a B.A in psychology. While at Goshen, Lonnie volunteered at ADEC Arc of Elkhart County which was an organization that advocated for and served individuals with developmental and cognitive disabilities. While in Goshen, he also met Sandi, the love of his life. They were married at Camp Menno Haven on August 3, 1985 and were blessed with 40 years together. 

He then went on to Western Kentucky University for his Masters in psychology. His education continued with a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1992 in school psychology and neural science. Lonnie also worked with the Indiana Resource Center for Autism in Bloomington while pursuing his degree. His academic career next took him to the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics where he completed an APA-approved internship in pediatrics and child psychiatry. He went on to complete an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center. Lonnie and Sandi moved often as he pursued his academic career, and they finally settled in Paoli, IN and Lonnie worked as a tenured Professor of Pediatrics as a clinical psychologist and researcher for the University of Louisville and Norton Children’s Development. He had over 30 years of clinical and research experience in developmental disabilities. He obviously loved to learn and literally never stopped his academic work. 

Lonnie cared deeply about children, both his own and the children of others. His heart was especially drawn to caring about children with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder. He helped many families over the years to access resources and celebrate individual differences.

He took pride in the accomplishments of his own children, but his love for them was unconditional. 

Lonnie especially enjoyed being out in the woods. He loved going for long walks with Curry, the family dog; camping; birding; Boundary Water canoe trips; and bike rides. As he grew older, he discovered he also enjoyed doing yoga and learning to play the ukulele with Sandi. 

Lonnie’s faith family at Paoli Mennonite Fellowship meant a great deal to him and provided him with friendship, love and support throughout his adult years. Lonnie shared his passion for creation care with PMF by helping gather maple sap to make syrup in the spring. The money raised through these efforts went to Growing Hope Globally, an organization dedicated to helping farmers throughout the world to grow their own food and earn an income. Lonnie was also instrumental in bringing solar energy panels to PMF, an effort which was fueled by his care and concern for Mother Earth. 

The last year of his life was spent fighting Pancreatic Cancer. Rather than anger at his situation, Lonnie discovered more empathy for those who struggle with pain and the challenge of living with declining health. Lonnie and Sandi were both grateful for the support they discovered in the cancer community through Gilda’s Club of Kentuckiana. 

Though the last year was difficult, it also brought opportunities for great joy, gratitude, and growth. As Lonnie often said, “All will be well.” He transitioned from his physical form knowing this was true and that he dwells in the Ultimate, now as always. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on November 15, 10 a.m. at Paoli Mennonite Fellowship, 2589 N Co Rd 100 W Paoli, IN 47452. Memorial gifts to honor Lonnie can be made to Growing Hope Globally and Gilda’s Club of Kentuckiana, both organizations for which Lonnie cared deeply.